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Cristóbal Balenciaga, designer

Chemise dress, ca. 1957

Description

Maker

  • Cristóbal Balenciaga, 1895-1972, Spanish, designer

Title

Chemise dress

Year

ca. 1957

Medium

Wool bouclé yarn twill weave

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • wool,
  • yarn

Techniques

  • twill weave

Dimensions

Center back length: 98.7 cm (38 7/8 inches)

Type

  • Fashion,
  • Costume

Credit

Museum purchase with funds from the Fine Arts Committee and Mary B. Jackson Fund

Object Number

1997.83

Projects & Publications

Publications

Selected Works

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Recent Acquisitions

February 18 - April 16, 2000

When Cristobal Balenciaga, a couturier known for elegant, simple, but perfectly tailored clothing, introduced a new silhouette in 1957, no one was prepared for the controversy it aroused. The chemise, or sack, as it was dubbed in the press, was a far cry from the narrow shoulders, tight waists, and full skirts popularized by Christian Dior in his 1947 "New Look." Women who adopted the chemise were ridiculed in the press, and the style was condemned as unfeminine and ungainly. Ready-to-wear manufacturers who produced thousands of dresses derived from Balenciaga's originals lost money, as many women were unwilling to try the new style. After a few seasons, however, the discord died down, and chemise styling filtered into the fashion mainstream.

Balenciaga is considered by many to be the most important couturier of the 1950s. This chemise represents both a pivotal moment in fashion and the perfection of line and cut that was Balenciaga's trademark. For all these reasons it is a prized addition to the Museum's extensive collection of costume and textiles, which is also relied upon in the teaching of costume history and fashion design at RISD.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Chemise dress with the accession number of 1997.83. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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